Elf

Mainly making their home in Esuna, the elves have a longer lifespan than most if not all other races on Yggdrasil, as well as a natural aptitude for magic. This has made them well-known, yet otherworldly in various ways. This page aims to highlight some ways in which they exist and navigate within this world.

Age and lifestyle

Unlike humans, elves can live to be centuries old, typically ranging from 800 to 1000 years. Though they physically and mentally mature around the same age as humans, spiritually and psychologically they tend to stay more youthful until they are roughly 60 to 100 years old.

Often around their 100th year, they spiritually mature and choose a name for themselves, though this depends on the individual’s own choice and experience. Their appearance often stays youthful until well into their 5th century, though after this they will slowly start to show signs of aging. When an older elf is getting closer to passing, a crescent moon might show in their eyes, indicating that their soul is looking into the afterlife.

Most elves will start a new family anywhere between their 2nd and 5th century. It is rare for an elven family to have more than two children, though sometimes the amount of children born increases before or after a cataclysmic event. It is believed that this is the Seldarine keeping a balance of elven souls.

The Reverie

When elves rest, they typically do not sleep unless they are overly exhausted or very ill. Because of this, they usually do not dream, and experiencing a dream is often very confusing for an elf, as they will never know which of their soul’s many lives lived informed the subconscious imagery in their minds.

More often, they will instead enter a trance, a form of meditation they instinctively know from a very young age. When in trance they enter the reverie, which is considered to be a realm that connects them to the afterlife. Here they will usually relive their many memories vividly as if they were there, helping them to remember and reflect on them. They have no control over which memories they will see in the reverie, however, and recurring painful memories can be akin to a nightmare. For this reason, many elves will strive to live fulfilling lives and will continue to bolster their minds throughout their lives. On rare occasions when an elf has amassed too many painful memories, their spirit may pass on in the reverie, causing them to die prematurely.

Before a young elf comes of age, roughly between 70 and 100 years old, they will often see memories of past lives in the reverie, though they are encouraged to not speak of these memories, as every new life is seen both as a gift and a challenge from the Gods and cherished as such. When an elf gets close to passing, they might start to see the afterlife during their trance, which can be observed by the formation of a crescent moon in their eyes.

Some Moon Elven priests and clerics may opt to sleep instead of trance, in order to receive messages from the Goddess Angharradh. These priests and clerics also often interpret dreams for other elves.

History

TBA

Looking at the Past

The elves of Yggdrasil are often reclusive, and much focused on the civilisations of eld. Looking to understand that which has been lost, several factions within the Sylvan Realm, among which archaeologists from Yls Dorei, meticulously search for and categorise relics of this ancient civilisation. Unlike Avalon, despite their greater success in unearthing relics through their technological advancements, researchers of Esuna are primarily interested in writings over material goods.

Many elves believe that the old civilisation was once a gift from the Gods, which had been taken for granted and abused until it one day was no more. Perished by nature itself, in their knowledge the Gods then left their world only to look down from above, taking on a more passive role.

Especially the more religiously inclined elves of Yls Dorei tend to cling to what is left. With their culture, traditions and morals that are passed on through the generations, memories of what once was remain a focal point of their lives.

Several factions in the North of Esuna therefore believe that by virtue of living closer to Istros Borealis - the place where it all began - they are closer to enlightenment. These religious groups tend to have rigid stances on what an elven society should look like, and are proactively working with houses of Yls Dorei to shape it in their vision.

Since the formal acknowledgement of Istros Borealis by the Sylvan Realm and availability of travel by sea, some especially zealously religious individuals might even take pilgrimages to the World Eater.

Elves as a proud and exclusionary race

Exchange of culture outside of Esuna is generally frowned upon by the North, as the elves believe that those who are shorter lived have moved too far beyond their ancestral roots and would therefore be incapable of truly understanding the ancient past. They are now considered but guests of the world that was inherited by the elves.

To this extent, those elves who are sick or dying will rarely be seen outside of Esuna, as death is associated with the rejoining of the Gods, the promised lands where the soul is cleansed and made ready for the next life. A pure and vulnerable moment like this is often considered to not be for ‘mortal’ eyes, for the elves do not see death on the Material Plane as true death, but rather the beginning of a new phase in their eternal lives.

In earlier times, a portion of the elves in Esuna did not support the dogmatic nature of the North and eventually split away to form new settlements south of the mountains. Most of these were Moon Elves, who were generally more open to other races and cultures and had a more free and nomadic lifestyle, as well as Wood Elves who simply sought to isolate themselves deeper into the woods. However, a fair amount of Sun elves migrated to the southern settlements as well.

The Scarlet Academy

Esuna houses one of the (if not the) largest library of all continents. Located in the city of Aerthys (Earth-is), the largest part of its collection consist of historical data from the Age of Wilderness, before the Calamity. For centuries there have been disputes between this establishment and the Scarlet Academy about the allotment of this data.

Language

Though there are several dialects within the Elven Language, there are some common rules among all of them.